Don’t blame ‘the media’ for the state of the referendum campaign

How well has the UK’s news media done in staging the debate and informing the public? Some outlets have fought valiantly to report the referendum campaign fairly, writes Charlie Beckett. Members of the public who complain they aren’t getting the facts must be joking. Nonetheless, the media take their cue from politicians, and campaigners’ strategy of destabilising the discourse while controlling their own message based on emotional appeals to voters has reaped a whirlwind. As the main parties show signs of imploding, it will have a long-lasting and damaging effect on democratic discourse.